Development of Red Dead Redemption

Lore & Background

Development of Red Dead Redemption began in earnest around 2006, following preliminary work that started by 2005. The core 180-person team at Rockstar San Diego was led by lead designer and co-writer Christian Cantamessa, technical director Ted Carson, and art directors Josh Bass and Daren Bader. The team co-opted studios worldwide, including Rockstar Leeds, Rockstar North, Rockstar New England, and Rockstar Toronto, to assist development. Rockstar North, developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, consulted on the creation of the open world. The game's 1,500-page script was written over two years by Dan Houser, Michael Unsworth, and Christian Cantamessa. The setting in 1911 was chosen to depict the transformation of the old West into modern civilization. Key team members conducted field trips to Washington, D.C. to capture photographs, and classic Western films, television shows, and novels were analyzed for research. Rockstar improved its proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine to enhance animation and draw distance rendering. The team felt the seventh generation of video game consoles were necessary to achieve their ideal vision, having exhausted older hardware on previous projects.

Reader's Guide

Red Dead Redemption's development was marked by both ambition and controversy. The open world setting constituted much of the development effort, with three main areas representing iconic features of the American frontier. The game features an original score composed over fifteen months by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, who engaged several other musicians to create approximately 200 tracks. Performance capture was used to record actors' movements, faces, and voices simultaneously, with Rod Edge directing performances in a studio in Santa Monica, California. The game includes around 450 characters and required a large amount of dialogue to make the world feel alive. However, the development was also notable for public complaints from staff members about working hours and managerial style. In January 2010, the wives of several Rockstar San Diego employees published an open letter alleging poor working conditions, including twelve-hour work days and six-day weeks. The International Game Developers Association described the alleged conditions as 'deceptive, exploitative, and ultimately harmful.' Less than two months after release, about 40 of Rockstar San Diego's 180 staff members were laid off. The game's budget was estimated between US$80 million and US$100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop at the time.

Did You Know?

• The original score was composed over fifteen months by Bill Elm and Woody Jackson, resulting in approximately 200 tracks.
• The game features around 450 characters.
• About 40 of Rockstar San Diego's 180 staff members were laid off less than two months after the game's release.